


What would you do if you had more time?

by AngelWars



Series: Angel's Clonecest July [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, M/M, Mando'a, Near Death Experiences, Protective Rex, Rex is a good husband, Romance, Sad, Tearjerker, Unique way with time, You will cry!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25394026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWars/pseuds/AngelWars
Summary: ‘Time.What is time? Time is an ugly storm in which we are all lost. Time is when your children grow from young to old. When a seed grows into a tree. When things change from new to unusable. When people marry and divorce. When birth becomes death. When seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years go by without stopping. You can't stop time. It's simply impossible.’‘Time is running out for all of us. But if you give a little nudge, a little push against the clock’s hands; then maybe, just maybe, you possess enough strength and determination to push time back.’-By Me (Beta/Angel)
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Angel's Clonecest July [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813453
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38
Collections: Captain Rex Stuff





	What would you do if you had more time?

**Author's Note:**

> This is day 4 of the ClonecestInJuly challenge! I finished this prompt a week ago and the editing was finished last night, the beta reading was finalized today. Now this one is very angsty, sad, and is also said to be a tear-jerker, and I quote, _“Oh thank god, that got me all teary-eyed.”_ by my marvelous beta reader @gimmeclones. It’s also edited by my fabulous revisor, 'BlazeSurrender' Thank you darlings!! <3 
> 
> P.S. the flower used in this story symbolizes _Hope._
> 
> Who’s ready to cry and hug a pillow close to their chest? Who’s ready to want to hug the characters really hard? If you are ready, please, press the ‘keep reading’ link. Enjoy!!
> 
> *Warning: Pretty angsty! If you aren’t into angst, then please don’t read! Also, you will cry so grab a tissue box.
> 
> **Prompt word: Clock**

Time. What is time? Time is an ugly storm in which we are all lost. Time is when your children grow from young to old. When a seed grows into a tree. When things change from new to unusable. When people marry and divorce. When birth becomes death. When seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years go by without stopping. You can't stop time. It's simply impossible.

Some people waste their time away by doing unremarkable or unimportant things that won't help them in the long run. Then, once they even waste it away, they can't do anything about it. 

The elderly, who've lived their lives to the very end, will tell you one thing:

_"Time is valuable, and when it is gone, it's gone. Time is wealth, and unlike credits, when it is gone, you cannot replace it."_

You may think that time is invisible to the naked eye, but no, it's not. Actually, you can see it right there in front of you above every person's head like a marker. Marking. Or target them for an inevitable change. 

Death. 

Numbers, colored in neon glowing colors would float above your head since the time you were born; and they only change from green to red when you are approaching your end. Everyone has this. Not one person has never been born without it. An ugly and scarily real reminder of what is to come if you are not careful. 

The scary thing about it is that you can stop what's coming. Only fate has your life in its hands. Would you trust in fate? It could change directions if you chose a different path. Could that path lead you right to your death? Could your decision be right—or very wrong and lead you to your undoing? 

Rex has never known what to do about fate because he can't do anything about it; not that he knows of. These glow green numbers have floated above his head for as long as he could remember. He couldn't touch these numbers. His hands went right through them. 

The green would pixelate and float away. Then they'll come back at some point. You touching your own numbers wouldn't affect your time or you, it just makes the numbers dissolve and at some point it'll bounce back. 

Rex's numbers say exactly: _60:12:20:18_

He has exactly 60 years, 12 months, 20 minutes, and 18 _seconds_ until he dies. Rex is unbelievably surprised by this amount of years he has. First of all, all clones barely have time on their hands; or more like on their heads. Seriously! Some clones have mere minutes or hours until they die and it's really unnerving to know that you are about to die on your next mission someplace and you don't even know HOW you'll die. 

Rex stares at the numbers over his head for a long time. They continue to count down every second. He shakes his head and sighs. _What can I do about it? Fate is unclear sometimes._ At one point, Rex's number specifically said _01:36:18:01_ till he died, and that was before the battle of Geonosis—the first battle of the Clone Wars when clone troopers were introduced. Rex actually believed he was going to die that day, but something changed it; somehow he changed it. 

A plasma grenade landed in the sand in front of him and his numbers stuttered. He remembers this so vividly. Then Rex ran in the opposite direction and the blast sent him flying forward. He woke up dazed, confused, and dizzy most of all. Rex forced himself to stand and continue fighting but he didn't realize his number got knocked all the way back to _02:03:60:59._

Two years! Rex thought about it. What if we can change our path and divert to another path away from death itself? He dismissed these crazy thoughts and called them childish or far-fetched fantasies that simply couldn’t come true. That all changed once Rex was sent to Teth and his numbers dropped; they were falling—and falling fast. 

Ventress took hold of him, attempting to use the force to make him comm his General, but Rex fought her control long enough to say his General's first name, _Anakin,_ and that alone improved his numbers. Ventress left him against the wall. His numbers rose to _03:08:60:59._

At the time, Rex had no idea how he got his time all the way up to 50 years! But he did somehow after spending many long days and hourless nights thinking, and he finally perceived the truth. _I can change the pathway fate has carved for me._

He should be happy that his life ended up that long, as a result of his quick-thinking, but it also makes Rex feel sad every time he looks upon a vod's numbers and it's spiraling down to zero. Rex wants to hide away his numbers sometimes, he can't though. 

_Oh well._ Rex sighs internally and leaves the 'fresher. 

Rex is getting ready for a big mission to follow a signal being transmitted to a Separatist Cyber Center on the planet's surface. Hours ago, Rex and Commander Cody came forward to Jedi Generals Made Windy and Anakin Skywalker with their theory that the Separatists had somehow managed to figure out Rex's strategic "playbook", and Cody had proposed taking a team behind enemy lines to investigate.

Rex finishes getting ready in the 'fresher and exits. He walks over to the nearest bunk and sits down on it. A soft glowing light, warm and orange shines onto his face. 

He smiles to himself. 

On his holo-pad, he stares at a picture of him, Cody, Fives, and Echo. They all looked so… _happy._ Which _should_ be kind of unusual during a war. Rex enjoyed his time with all three of them. Echo was taken away from them, a couple weeks after the picture was taken, during the Citadel Mission on Lola Sayu. Fives had never been the same since. Now, they are both gone. Rex doesn't like to think about what happened to Fives. His hand grips tighter onto the edge of the screen. 

Rex believes that Echo is alive and he's the reason why their algorithm keeps getting recognized and used against them. The swish of the doors opening turned Rex away from his holo-pad and towards his _riduur._ Cody. Rex smiles at him. 

_Nobody is around. I could just-_

_"Kot’ika,_ hey." Rex let's the nickname slip from his lips. Cody's eyes soften from their natural hardened look. He always looks that way with everyone, especially when in serious situations. 

"Rex. You wanted to talk." Cody barely lets a flicker of a smile show on his face. Rex knows he's just trying to be the big bad Commander and barely show any emotion. He only ever shows true emotion, or loving emotion, when they are in the bedroom.

"Yes,” Rex confirms, “I did."

The two of them talk about how Echo could be the potential reason for the Separatists constant victories. Rex deduces Echo is the only possible weak point for how the Separatists could have gotten the algorithm since his body has never been recovered. It is a bit of a far stretch though. It leaves Cody feeling skeptical of the theory after Rex tells him his idea. 

"I hope you're right. But the fact is, Echo's fingerprints are all over the Separatist's strategies." Rex looks at Cody. The other's scratched up helmet sits nestled against his left hip. 

"Rex. You have to admit what you're saying is a long shot at best, and most likely, misplaced hope." Cody calmly watches him. Rex turns his gaze to the floor, sad and frazzled. He's not so sure he can make up his mind about whether he wants to believe Cody’s instincts, or his own. 

Cody raises his hand slowly in front of Rex's face to call back his attention. Rex stares at him again. 

Concern flickers in Cody’s eyes, "I need you to be focused on this." 

Rex shifts his gaze a bit. "I-I know, I know." Golden eyes flick up to meet Cody's hazel once more. "Don't worry." 

Cody offers another smile, gentle and sweet. That's when Rex's eyes widen just a fraction. He stopped looking at other's numbers above their heads because the 8 digits ceased to interest him; they only made him more sad and worried and so many other things. He just so happened to look up and notices Cody's numbers are lowering a bit quicker than normal. 

Cody turns to walk away from the bunk and Rex squints at the mocking numbers. 

_Holy kriff_ . _Why didn't I notice till now?_

"Wait, Cody." Rex jumps to stand up and runs over to Cody; who turns around to face him again. Some confusion showed in his eyes. 

"Yes?" Cody shifts his weight to his right hip. 

Rex stares at the numbers in horror. "I…your numbers. They're…" Rex gestures to the numbers above Cody's soft hair, longer than the normal hair length, and makes an aborted step closer. Cody tips his head back. Too bad an individual can't see their own numbers unless they look in a mirror. Even then, they are still reversed when presented to the looking glass. The numbers just bend back with you if you look up. Cody seems to remember because he looks at Rex again. 

"What's wrong with them?" Cody eyes him with concern. Rex steps closer and closer till Cody can almost feel his breath on his face. Rex trembles slightly. 

"They…they are dropping Cody. Fast." Rex fights the urge to panic, to say something, to cry or anything, just- _Stars! Make them stop moving!_

Cody restrains his own panic, but for Rex; because Rex looks like he's going to cry in any minute. Cody grabs his hands and rubs his knuckles. Just the way he likes it; to calm down some. 

"Hey, _cyare,_ look at me." Cody's voice is as soft as a young Tooka's fur. Undisturbed. Fluffy. It could almost wrap it's warmth around Rex's body and squeeze him. Rex glances at his face and then back up at the flickering numbers. 

"Rex. Please, don't look at the numbers. Look at me and only me. Don't look at them." Cody brushes his chin up with his finger. Rex reacts to it and leans against his body. 

"I don't… please don't go. Your numbers are getting faster. They skipped down five years, Cody. It's not even years! It's—oh stars." Rex grits his teeth in horror. Cody quickly shushes him. He doesn't want anyone to hear them. Rex submits to his hold. 

That’s another scary thing, the numbers do not make a sound. It's like a ghost in the wind. 

_"Cyare,_ you know that fate changes whenever you do something. Whatever path you take can change the whole directory, and that just happens to the best of us—" 

Rex growls and leans away. 

"But not you! I don't give a shit what fate wants or needs. It won't take you away from me. I ca-" Cody tightens his hold on Rex's wrist. That shuts him up. Cody didn't mean to, but Rex knows that he can't get attached to him like that; especially when it came to their numbers. 

"You will. We are _soldiers_ , Rex. We fight in a war and someday we may not make it back home, to our loved ones. You'll have to accept that fact when fate decides it's my time-"

Rex shakes his head. "You don't have to go. You can stay here; we can make up an excuse why you shouldn't or _can't_ go." Rex smiles. Hope and sorrow shimmer like unhappy, broken up waves in a pond. 

Cody let's go of Rex's wrist, wraps his arms around his waist, and brings him closer to his chest. _A hug._ Rex's breaths become slower and calm. 

"You know I can't do that. But I will remain by your side till the very end, and _if_ fate wants me today; and of course I hope it doesn't, then it will take me and I get to march with our aliit." Cody tucks his chin on top of Rex's short, _oh so soft,_ wheat blond curls. 

Rex fights against the burn behind his eyes. _Don't show emotions. Y-You ca-c-can't._ He became so sensitive after Umbara. Rex lost many brothers during that campaign, even the 212th lost many as well. Cody lost Waxer that day. 

"If I die, I'll always be here with you, my love. Never forget that." Cody whispers. His warm breath tickles his scalp. It sent shivers ramping down his neck, to his broad and wide shoulders, to his toned abdomen and all the way down to his feet. Rex's arms snake their way around his cyare's waist to return the hug. 

He hates to agree to disagree but it must be done to ease Cody's concerns and cleanly wipe them off the slate. 

Rex nods. 

"Okay, okay," Rex whispers. _"Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum."_

Cody smiles. He pecks a quick kiss on Rex's forehead and returns his resting place on his head. _"Bal Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum."_

* * *

Rex stands beside Cody. They rock back and forth with the movement of the LAAT shuttle. Something that every trooper has learned throughout the war; go with the flow or the movement of the shuttle. Don't fight against it or you'll fall over. The red lights enveloped the entire midsection of the ship in an evil glow. It put Rex on edge because he knows that Cody's time is ticking down to 0 sooner than he liked. 

_Why did we let him go on the mission if he's about to die or get hurt? Succumb to injuries that may kill him._ Well, they are clone troopers. They can't _not_ go on missions just because their time is ticking down. They have to go! 

Cody glances down at Rex's hand while everyone else is looking in the other direction, and his knuckles graze Rex's. Two fingers wrap themselves around his own fingers. Rex looks up at Cody. Then the Captain slowly flicks his eyes up to stare scrutinizingly at the glowing numbers. They are slowly turning red. 

"Cody, " Rex whispers. Cody rubs his thumb over his knuckles. 

"It's okay, Rex. Everything is fine." Cody reassures him with a small smile and kind eyes. Nothing is fine though. Cody is going to die in 43 minutes because of something that Rex doesn't know, not yet anyways. Rex wants so badly to do more than curl his own fingers around Cody's. He wants to hug him. Kiss him. Be close to him. 

"I gotta go up to the front and brief everyone on what we need to do. I'll be back okay." Cody let's go of his fingers and holds his eye contact with Rex before he walks over to the front of the mid-section. 

_00:43:57_

_Cody won’t be back. Something is going to happen to this shuttle, I just know it._

Cody is getting closer and closer to death. Rex's heart throbs at the terrible knowledge. _Why does no one else care that Cody's time is almost up? Why?!_ Maybe because they have another issue that’s more important than a clone Commander’s imminent death.

"Alright, listen up." Cody whips out a mini holo-projector that shows a staticky picture of a satellite dish. "Here's the mission. Our target is the Cyber Center. It's the "brains" of the entire Separatist campaign here on Anaxes." Cody seems so confident even though time is ticking. Ticking and ticking. And it won't stop until it has Cody in it's sharp clutches. 

Wrecker steps forth. "I could demolish that with one hand!" He says energetically while raising his left fist. "Yeah!" Wrecker nods. 

Cody just looks at him. "This isn't a demo job, Wrecker." Then Cody glances at everyone else on the shuttle. "It's strictly a retrieval operation." The holo-projection flickers off. The low blue of its natural light dissipates: and the evil red of the room returns. 

The shuttle tips to its right as it enters a canyon-like terrain. Rex nervously shifts as he stares at Cody's numbers again. Even Hunter glances up at them in surprise. _Seems like he just noticed._ Rex thinks. The loud sound of explosions rock the ship from side to side. Everyone rocks with the movement. 

_We are under attack!_

Everyone looks up at the ceiling. They can all hear it outside. Cannon fire, most definitely. The ship groans as it rises into the sky in an attempt to escape being shot down. A black DSD1 dwarf spider droid gets a lucky shot. The red plasma bolt rams into the metal with a screeching hiss. Amber's fly off the side of the ship that had been hit; and the shuttle takes a dive back towards the ground. 

"We're going down!" Wrecker shouts the obvious and starts to laugh like a maniac. 

The shuttle takes a dangerous dive straight into the side of the cliffs and then continues to shred across it, bringing rocks and rubble down with it. Then the shuttle tips onto its back and left side. It crashes into the ground loudly. Blue and violet crystals, that are stuck into the ground, are brought up by the massive hull. 

All of the troopers stumble out of the shuttle coughing and groaning to themselves in pain. Rex hop's off the side and immediately starts to look for Cody. _He didn't get out._ Rex comes to realize in well-concealed horror. 

_Where is he?!_

"We always get shot down when we travel with regs." Wrecker pouts. 

Kix remains on the ship and is peering down into the smoke enveloped shuttle. He calls, "Cody!" Cody doesn't answer. So Kix turns his head to look at everyone else. "Help!"

A flare of dread rolls through Rex like an angry wave. He turns around, ready to do anything to save his cyare and get him out of there. _Haar'chak! His time! He doesn't have time!_

Kix looks back in quickly. His brows furrow. "He's trapped. We have to do something." 

Rex rasps out, "I'll get him." and begins to jog over. Hunter rushes to stand in between Rex and his _cyare_ — _get your hands off of me!_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Hunter stops him with two gauntleted hands pressed against his chest plate and right pauldron. Rex glares at him for one second and then tries to get a glance over his shoulder. 

Hunter can see his concern and desperation fluttering around in his eyes. He can tell why he wants to so badly save Cody. 

He reassures him, "Easy Captain." Captain Rex looks at him like he's crazy. _What do you mean 'easy Captain'?! Move!_ Rex's eyes glow a bit when the sun's rays hit them just right. Hunter peeks around Rex's right shoulder. 

"Wrecker," Hunter acknowledges the bigger trooper, before ordering, “get him out." Hunter pushes Rex back and away far away from the ship, gently; just so then he wouldn't anger him. Rex wouldn't get unnecessarily upset. Hunter is just doing his job as a Commander of his own squad and is trying to keep him calm. 

Wrecker cracks his knuckles. He pulls his left arm up to pump himself up with adrenaline. He'll need it to get Cody out of there. 

"Get back!" Wrecker grunts. 

Everyone moves away to watch whatever he's about to do to save the Commander stuck inside. Rex's right foot nervously taps against the ground. 

"This is ridiculous!" Kix looks at Rex. "He's gonna need help to get Cody out of there."

Rex glances from Kix, to the ground, and then back up to the flaming shuttle. 

Crosshair chuckles. "He's gonna get the gunship out of there. Not Cody." His tone is smug and cocky. Arms crossed over his chest plate like he's all talk. Rex pushes his boiling anger back down. 

Wrecker places his hands on the heated metal. His left hand on the side and his right on the bottom. The sizzling of fire pops near him. Wrecker grunts powerfully. He lifts the shuttle up and up. Then Wrecker jerks his body down to rest both of his hands on the bottom of the shuttle. And his legs move to a crouched position, right leg bent down low and the foot is pressed into the ground, while the left leg is bent back behind him; they have also spread apart a little bit to support the weight. 

Wrecker heaves one last time before he pushes up with all his might. Knocking the ship right back up to sit like it's supposed to; bottom part facing down against the ground, top up towards the sky. Parts of metal fall off and slam into the ground around Wrecker. 

He smiles under his cool helmet.

The ship then tips onto the other side. The deafening and horrid sounds of metal, screeching against each other like chalk on a chalkboard, drag along with a groan. The body of the pilot limply sits in the cockpit. Dead. Wrecker instantly grabs a hold of the injured 212th Commander in yellow and heaves him up, like a rag doll, onto his shoulders in a fireman hold.

The buff trooper turns around and makes his way back towards the awaiting group. The aura around the group suffocates them in anxiety; more so for the regs.

Cody's legs swing from side to side, like he's already dead. 

Wrecker tips his chin up. "Boom." 

And on cue, as if he did this a million times before, the shuttle blows up. It becomes a fiery storm of red, orange, and yellow fire. The smoke billows up it no the sky. 

Rex and Kix both squint against the heat and raging colors. It may look pretty, but it can still kill. Kix's mouth opens in a gap and he runs over to meet Wrecker. His field medic instincts are kicking in in an instant. 

Rex grits his teeth and runs over as well, his kama swings around his hips multiple times. Wrecker starts to slowly lower him onto the ground; which draws out a pained reaction from Cody. Rex's eyes widen at the death time flickering above his head. 

_00:00:37:47_

Kix takes out a scanner, the laser hums as it's dragged along over Cody's chest because a big metal pole laid across his back inside the ship when he was stuck. Cody's skin crinkles up under his eyes as his face scrunches up in agony. 

Cody groans again. 

"He has internal damage." Kix says grimly. Kix glances at all of them. "I can cut the pain. But he needs help fast." He takes off his med-pack and starts to dig through it for supplies. 

Rex stares at the numbers with sad eyes. Cody gazes up at him longly. Rex notices his cyare's looking at him, so he kneels down to get a bit closer. 

"It's okay, Cody. Kix will fix you up." Rex reassures him with a small smile. Cody grimaces when a wave of pain rapidly washes over him. 

"I-It hur-hurts." Cody closes his eyes.

Rex bites the inside of his cheek. _If Cody is admitting that it hurts; then it must hurt bad._

"I know. But it'll be okay. Just stay with me." Rex's fingers inch towards his hand. _Force, I want to comfort him so bad. But everyone is around. All I can do is say something for now._ "I am here, Cody." 

Cody flinches away from Kix when he plunges pain killers into the side of his neck. Cody gasps and tries to get away. 

"No no. It's okay. It's just a syringe." Rex smiles. Hoping to calm Cody down. 

Kix pushes it in; not even waiting for Cody to listen to Rex. The slender metal slides into sensitive skin and that's enough to make Cody halt in his desperate attempt to escape more pain. 

"There you go." Kix comforts him. He may be firm, but he still cares about his patients. "We need to get him somewhere safe so then a drop ship can come pick him and I up. I'll go with him back to the base." Kix volunteers. 

While he is, Cody is slowly falling asleep. 

Rex nods. "Okay."

* * *

The sky is a beautiful glowing blue. An ominous aurora, a glistening light show of ivy green and with a fair amount of yellow, swirled in the sky above a campsite down below in the thick wooded forest. The warm glow of a fire pit hummed lively through the treetops. 

Jesse and Kix sit in front of a fire pit. They lean against one another. Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair stand near the fire pit and Hunter is a little ways away; crouched in the dirt. Hunter touches the dirt and closes his eyes. Near the front of the camp and further away from the campfire sits Cody and Rex. 

Cody curls forward and groans in agony. His chest burns terribly. Rex let's his hand graze the inside of his thigh plate and comforts him the best he can. 

"It's okay, Cody." Rex whispered under his breath. Cody whines. He tries to push Rex's hand away but he wouldn't let go of him for his sake. 

"No no. _Cod'ika,_ listen to me. It's okay. Everything will be okay." Rex reassures him. Or more like he's trying to reassure himself that everything will be fine but it isn't! Cody's time is standing at a standstill of _00:16:34._

"Rex….R-Rex. It hurts so bad." Cody moaned.

Rex coos at him. "I know, _Cod'ika._ I know. Just breathe for me." 

Cody's fingers grip the hard plastoid armor around his abdomen and try to yank it off, but he couldn't. Rex watches him. The numbers flicker again. _00:14:23._

_Haar'chak._

"R-Rex, _forceee~_ It _burns_." Cody places his head against Rex's chest plate and grits his teeth. 

Rex looks over his left shoulder. "Kix! Cody, he's—" 

The medic rushes over, excusing himself from his conversation with Jesse and the others. Jesse stands yo in concern but Kix tells him to sit back down, he'll worry about it. 

"Okay, Commander. It's alright. Shit." Kix stares at the scarlet red above Cody's head. "Haar'chak." Kix looks down at his hands and turns his sad gaze to his Captain. 

"Rex, I am sorry but we can't do anything else until the shuttle comes." Kix sits back. 

"But he's dying Kix! There has to be something you can do!" Rex grips Cody's trembling hand between his two palms. Cody moans a little louder when his head starts to swim. Rex leans his head against his chestplate. 

"I've got you. Just lean against me and you'll be okay." Rex wraps his arms around him and glances up at the numbers. _13 minutes._

Cody knows his time is almost up. He can feel it in his muscles; how they sag and become heavy like clay and rocks. His eyes couldn't stay open for long. He feels so tired. Rex stares at the medic sitting beside Cody. 

"Can you give us a moment alone?" Rex requested.

Kix smiles sympathetically. "Of course." Kix walks back over to the warm campfire. 

"My love. I am sorry." Cody apologizes once Kix is gone. "There was no avoiding this. I am so _so_ sorry."

Hot tears prick Rex's eyes. He whispers, "It's okay, Cod'ika. It's my fault. I should've been more persistent with convincing you to stay at the base." Tears drift down Rex's face. Cody reaches him up to wipe them away. Rex smiles wetly and presses his forehead against Cody's and sniffles. 

"I love you _Kote_ ," Rex utters the endearment that makes him all the more sad. "I love you so kriffing much," Rex whispers. A soft sob escapes his lips. Cody closes his eyes and grunts in pain. It's like the pressure in his stomach is releasing but in the most uncomfortable way possible.

"I love you too." Cody sighs. His time ticks closer and closer to his inevitable death. Rex holds onto his lover and rocks him back and forth, while he whispers sweet nothings against his cold and clammy skin. 

Rex bites his lower lip. 

"I wish there was a way to save you. I wish that I could save you. _Stars,_ please help me. Help _him_. Please give him more time." Rex murmurs and prays. Cody listens to his breathy pleads over and over; the world is enveloped in a period of silence that is only broken by Rex's prayers.

"Let me save him. Please, let me save him." Rex continues the desperate mantra like a broken record. 

"Give him more time."

Cody's breaths start to slow down with their deathly crawl. His chest burns for more oxygen. _Please, more!_ He whines in pain. Cody claws at Rex's arm as he is desperate for comfort. 

"Give him more time. Give him more time." Rex repeats. 

Cody gasps softly when an odd wave of warmth extinguishes the cold from his skin and body. His eyes fly open. Kix and the others are watching the loving and sad interaction unfold. Kix's eyes widen when Cody's numbers flicker closer to three minutes—and they stop. Everyone takes a bated breath and sits in waiting. 

Rex says again, "Give him more time. Give him more time. Let me give him more time."

Cody slowly turns his head to gaze onto Rex's scrunched up face. Rex's eyes are closed and his lips move at lighting speed. Cody groans from a deathly cold sensation that suddenly turns really warm and filled with life. Rex's numbers start to flicker themselves and they—they start to lower from sixty years and go down.

Everyone around them moves towards them in shock. Rex refuses to let go of Cody's hands. He keeps his own around them until he feels the warmth return to them. Rex blinks in confusion and gazes up at Cody's numbers. 

He gasps. 

_I-I…I can't b-believe it. His numbers—_

Cody's eyes widen in horror at Rex's numbers. 

_His numbers!_

Cody finally feels his strength return, it's a rush of adrenaline that he uses to reach up and touch the side of Rex's face. He studies his eyes. Golden and normal; nothing's wrong with them! Cody stares at his numbers again. 

Rex's numbers stop moving. Cody gapes. _Fifty years?! He lost a whole ten years!_

"Rex?? I-I…what did you do?" Cody frowns in worry. Rex shushes him. 

"I did what I had to so then you could live." 

Wrecker screams, "What?! How is that possible? Nobody told me you could do this!!" 

Crosshair rolls his eyes. "Nobody knew this Wrecker. This is… Strange. Weird. Are only Regs above to do this?" Crosshair turns to look at the medic questioningly. 

Kix shrugs. "N-No. No. I am very sure no one has ever known to do this before. This is a new discovery and development." Kix kneels down beside Cody's body again and checks all of his vitals quickly just to double check. Cody couldn't tear his eyes away from Rex's numbers. 

The corner of Rex's lip quirks up in amusement. _"Cod'ika_ , look at me. Don't look at the numbers. They've stopped moving; haven't they?" 

Cody glares at him. "You _di'kut!_ You threw your years away to–to— " 

"To give you extra years. Commander…you just gained 10 years!" Kix interrupts. "How is that—" 

"-Possible?” Hunter finishes for him. 

Rex shrugs. "I just kept thinking about wanting to give him more time, and I did." 

Cody's eyes tear up. "Force, you didn't have to…you didn't have to do that for me, Rex! You do know that right?"

Rex shakes his head. His eyes light up. 

"Cody, I don't think you understand. I did it because I…" _Should I mention our relationship in front of the others?_

Cody stares at Rex, waiting for him to finish. 

_Heh. Screw it!_ "I care about you a lot. I love you and you know that." 

The Bad Batchers smile softly, except for Crosshair, he barely smiles for any reason. Kix and Jesse both gaze at one another. Cody's breath trembles. 

"R-Rex. Force, thank you. _Cyare,_ I love you too." Cody presses his face into his chest plate. Kix smiles at them. 

"Well, his vitals are a lot better, sir. But I think that he should still go back to the base and rest. I don't want him getting hurt again on this mission and the next time you aren't able to save him. Okay?" Kix stares them both down firmly. Commander Cody knows not to test Kix's patience. 

"Yessir." Cody smirks. Kix nods at them and gets up. Then the medic shoos everyone away from the pair so they can have a moment to themselves. 

Cody and Rex look at each other before they laugh quietly. Rex’s hand shifts from his bicep to his side. It is there to support him.

“Rest _cyare._ The shuttle will be here soon and you’ll be back at the base in no time.” Rex offers a small, yet loving smile. Cody leans back against the tree.

“Good. “

The aura around them becomes less tense and more silent. Cody and Rex are thinking about everything that just happened. It happened so fast that Rex wasn’t able to comprehend what happened.

_I sacrificed 10 years of my life, and I don’t exactly know how I did it. But one things for sure—_

Rex hugs Cody. 

“You are reckless sometimes, _Rex’ika._ You may not have known that would happen; but it did. What if you gave your entire life away for me? And if it’s possible for you to lend over 10 years then I am positively sure you can give away your whole life to me," Cody murmurs. 

His cyare smiles, unashamed and completely gentle. "I would do anything for you, Cody. You know that."

"That's what I am worried about most times too. I am worried you’ll do something that will put your own life on the line for me or someone else you care about. I rather you live than me, I am being honest." Cody can already feel the heaviness on his eyelids. Sleep is a beautiful thing when it takes you under; away from the pain and suffering. 

"I know. But I don't regret it. Saving you is the best thing that could've ever happened to me." Rex gazes over at the others around the fire pit.

"I have to go now, Cody."

"Okay. Stay safe, for me." Cody curls one pinky around Rex's index finger. Rex grips his pinky tightly before letting go. 

"Of course, _Kot'ika."_

Rex's finger slips away from Cody's grasp. He walks towards the fire pit in front of Cody and begins to talk about what they need to do next. In the soft, moist soil, a couple meters away next to the tree; a small shrub-like _Hawthorn_ flower peeks, shyly, from the ground. With a thorny, shiny, thick stem and five white petals with anthers in the middle of the flower that are pink or red. 

Its petals open up slowly, like a venus fly trap, and shine brightly in the dark of night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Please leave a comment and subscribe/bookmark so then you are alerted when I post my next prompt. My fifth-day prompt should come out tomorrow so be very excited for _MORE_ angst!!
> 
> Again, please keep your eyes open for it! 
> 
> Mando'a translation:
> 
> Vod: Brother/comrades  
> Kot'ika/ika: Any name with 'ika' at the end puts more endearment into it  
> Riduur: partner/spouse/husband/wife  
> Kriff: Fuck **(Is actually Huttese)**  
>  Cyare: beloved/loved/popular  
> Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum: I love you so much  
> Bal Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum: And I love you  
> Haar'chak: Damn it!  
> Kote: Glory (Cody's Mando'a name)  
> Kriffing: Fucking **(Is actually Huttese)**  
>  Di'kut: idiot


End file.
